The Battle of Bloodmarch Hill
Mysteries in Sylbaran
In the town of Sylbaran an out-of-the-way settlement surrounded by the brutal monsters of the country of Droaam to the south and the undead-infested forests of the Gloaming to the north, the heroes must investigate a mysterious attack on a diplomatic envoy. Can they uncover the truth before Sylbaran comes under attack by forces working against it, and will they stop a dangerous plot—and discover that the situation is worse than anyone realizes. For even the fearsome raid is just a distraction allowing a menacing force to recover the relics of an ancient giant hero from a tomb long forgotten beneath the town.
This is my telling of the Giantslayer Adventure Path by Paizo, set in the Eberron Campaign Setting, created by Keith Baker. I hope you enjoy it.
Engineer #3 Mk. II - gender-neutral BrelishwarforgedSoulknife 1 (Portrait)
"Anything can be a weapon. A half-round hammer, weight 500g, length 35cm, with hardened steel head and reinforced handle can move heated metal or forge weld plates. It can also shatter bones and deliver fatal blows with ease. The use of the tool and the choice of the wielder is of paramount importance."
Jacynta Laringfass - female ReacherhalflingHunter 1 (Portrait)
"You know why I like animals better than people? I've never met a lion that thinks I'm not living up to my potential, I've never met a hawk that wants to shame me for my choices, and I've never met a wolf that would abandon me after I've bonded with it. They know what's important in life, and they don't worry about much else. They've got this all figured out better than we ever will."
1 Tackle (prone and grappled)
2 Reposition
3 Parry (Use attack bonus to defend)
4 Bash enemy with their own weapon
5 Disarm
6 Stun
7 Sunder the attacker's weapon
8 Sunder the attacker's armor
9 Sunder the attacker's shield
10 Grapple
11 Grasp
12 Steal
13 Grab & Stab
14 Smack
15 Cantrip/ Orison
16 The attacker blocks their allies attack
17 Redirect attack
18 Straight arm
19 Eye gouge
20 Seize natural attack
21 Hinder natural attack
22 Create opening
23 Impede movement
24 Environmental - location
25 Environmental - on the attacker
26 Break a magical item
27 Shove
28 Bullrush
29 Free 5 ft. step
30 Break an enemies potion
31 Break an enemies wand
32 Knock off balance
33 Trip
34 Shoulder throw
35 Awesome blow
36 Body Slam
Tackle (prone and grappled) - *
Reposition - You reposition a foe to a different location as a Reaction. You can only reposition an opponent that is no more than one size category larger than you. A reposition Reaction forces a foe to move to a different position in relation to your location without doing any harm. If your Reaction is successful, you may move your target 5 feet to a new location. For every 5 by which your attack exceeds your opponent’s CMD, you can move the target an additional 5 feet. The target must remain within your reach at all times during this movement, except for the final 5 feet of movement, which can be to a space adjacent to your reach. An enemy being moved by a reposition does not provoke an attack of opportunity because of the movement unless you possess the Greater Reposition feat. You can move a creature into a square that is occupied by a solid object or obstacle, in which case you Pin them.
Parry - Use may use your attack bonus rather than your Defense to block the attack if it is higher.
Bash enemy with their own weapon - You hit the enemy with their own weapon for non-lethal damage.
Disarm - You disarm your opponent. Attempting to disarm a foe while unarmed can be dangerous unless you have the Unarmed Combatant Feat. If your Reaction is successful, your target drops one item it is carrying of your choice (even if the item is wielded with two hands). If your attack exceeds the attack of the target by 10 or more, the target drops the items it is carrying in both hands (maximum two items if the target has more than two hands). If your Reaction fails by 10 or more, you drop the weapon that you were using to attempt the disarm. If your Reaction fails by 10 or more, and you were unarmed, treat as if the attacker got a free Dirty Trick on you. If you successfully disarm your opponent without using a weapon, you may automatically pick up the item dropped.
Stun - A stunned creature drops everything held, can’t take actions, takes a –2 penalty to Defense, and loses its Dexterity bonus to Defense (if any). Attackers receive a +4 bonus on attack rolls to perform combat maneuvers as attacks or Reactions against a stunned opponent.
Sunder the attacker's weapon - You attempt to sunder your opponent's weapon. If your Reaction is successful, you deal damage to the item normally. Damage that exceeds the object’s Hardness is subtracted from its hit points. If an object has equal to or less than half its total hit points remaining, it gains the broken condition. If the damage you deal would reduce the object to less than 0 hit points, you can choose to destroy it. If you do not choose to destroy it, the object is left with only 1 hit point and the Broken condition.
Sylbaran
LN small town
Corruption +0; Crime –1; Economy +0; Law +0; Lore –1; Society +4
Qualities insular, racially intolerant (orcs)
Danger +0
DEMOGRAPHICS
Government council (Council of Defenders)
Population 780 (620 humans, 50 halflings, 40 half-orcs, 20 dwarves, 15 half-elves, 10 gnomes, 9 shifters, 7 warforged, 4 elves, 1 goblin, 1 kobold, 3 other)
Notable NPCs
Chief Defender Halgra of the Blackened Blades (CG female old human ranger 3/barbarian 5)
Councilor Agrit Staginsdar (LN female dwarf wizard 5/ fighter 1)
Councilor and Banker Lessie Crumkin (LN female human cleric of Kol Korran 4) agent of House Kundarak
Councilor Sara Morninghawk (NG female half-orc barbarian 3/expert 3)
High Priestess Tyari Varvatos (LG female human cleric of Silver Flame 6)
Master of Stores Kessen Plumb (NG male human expert 3)
Patrol Leader Jagrin Grath (LN male human ranger 7)
MARKETPLACE Base Value 1,000 gp; Purchase Limit 5,000 gp; Spellcasting 4th
Minor Items +1 heavy steel shield, +1 light crossbow, cowardly crouching cloak, oil of shillelagh, a ring of spell knowledge I, a scroll of divine power, a scroll of magic weapon, wand of magic missile;
Medium Items +2 greatsword, potion of resist energy (fire);
Major Items —
Sylbaran at a Glance
A. Commons: This open-air amphitheater lies in the center of town, and has a stone floor and raised stage at its southwest end. The Commons hosts militia training, school lessons, important ceremonies, and other festivities.
B. Ramblehouse: Many of Sylbaran’s halfling residents live in the Ramblehouse, a boardinghouse that is also the town’s sole inn. It is run by Cham Laringfass d'Ghallanda.
C. Longhouse: Sylbaran’s largest building, the Longhouse contains a huge common room for meetings, barracks for the town’s unmarried militia members, storerooms, and the town’s emergency food supply, the siegestone. In addition, Patrol Leader Jagrin Grath and his two sons, Rodrik and Kurst, normally reside within the Longhouse.
D. Brinya Kelver’s Lodgings: This boardinghouse provides lodging for several of Sylbaran’s residents who don’t possess any property of their own in town, including the half-orc weaver Brinya Kelver.
E. South Tower: This tower forms the southern anchor for the first of Sylbaran’s inner walls, which separate the plateau holding the inner part of Sylbaran from the main gate at ground level.
F. Sanctuary: When Sylbaran’s old church of Dol Dorn—now known as the Plague House (area H)—was burned by marauding orcs, Silver Flame missionaries built this new temple inside the town’s walls. Although the Sanctuary’s priests are careful to stay out of government and politics, some Sylbaran’s question how much of the clerics’ loyalties lie with Thrane rather than Sylbaran.
G. Clamor: Officially called Morninghawk’s Fine Steel, Clamor is Sylbaran’s smithy. Virtually all metalwork in the town, including the crafting of hope knives for its citizens, falls under the purview of the half-orc councilor and smith Sara Morninghawk.
H. Plague House: Also known as the Burned Church, this old, burnt-down ruin outside Sylbaran’s walls is the subject of numerous horror stories—most Sylbaran’s avoid the place, believing it to be haunted.
I. Flame of the Fallen: To prevent orcs from desecrating their remains, Sylbaran’s dead are burned in a pyre here; the pyre also serves as a beacon during times of siege.
J. Commons Beacon: One of several beacons used during orc attacks, this pyramid of wood and kindling is kept built near the Commons (area A), ready to be lit quickly in the event of an orc raid.
K. Inner Gates Beacon: Another pyramid of wood and kindling stands in the inner quarter (area L), just before the gates to the town’s upper quarter.
L. Inner Quarter: Walled and gated at either end, this slope climbs between Sylbaran’s lower quarter and the stone plateau of Blademark Hill 40 feet above, forming a choke point and killing ground for invaders assaulting the town.
M. Hopespring Beacon: Yet another pyramid of wood and kindling stands in lower Sylbaran near the town’s water source, the Hopespring (area O), ready to be lit as a beacon should the town come under attack.
N. Barterstones: These broad, flat slabs of stone outside the town proper host an open-air market where a significant portion of Sylbaran’s trade occurs.
O. Hopespring: This fresh and reliable spring wells up from deep within Blademark Hill before cascading in a small waterfall down to the town’s reservoir in lower Sylbaran. Sylbaran draws all of its freshwaters from the Hopespring, whose existence is the reason the town was founded here in the first place.
House Rules:
HERO POINTS
Everyone begins the game with 5 Hero Points. These can be used to Re-roll any d20 roll (on a separate post) or force the Re-roll of any of mine. They can be gifted to other players. You will receive Hero Points for good role-playing and when you level up.
==Combat== HIT POINTS
Hit points - Players begin at 1st level with 10 + Constitution score + Max 1st level hp for your class.
Vigor- Players start play at 1st level with an equal amount of Vigor as their starting hp. Once you have taken damage (applied to your HP), and after an encounter ends, you move 1 Vigor point over from Vigor to hp every round; essentially subtracting Vigor and replenishing hp. Vigor heals as part of the healing process normally, through magic or natural methods.
Wound points - Players start at 1st level with Wound Points equal to double their Constitution score. Once you have taken enough damage that you are out of hp, you begin to take Wound point damage. If you have taken any Wound point damage, you are unable to take any aggressive action, including support actions for other players acting aggressively, until you have healed that damage. This is the time to consider retreating, get healing, or negotiate your way out. Wound points heal like normal.
Healing affects Wound points first, hit points second, and Vitality last.
DEFENSES
Active Defense. I combine this with a custom set of rules I’ve made called Reactions. When you attack a goblin, that goblin rolls Active Defense rather than AC...so an attack of 14 isn’t against an AC of 16, it's against a 1d20+6. If you succeed, you hit. If you do not succeed, the goblin may get a Reaction, which creates tactical problems and advantages.
Conversely, if I attack you, you get a Defense roll. Unless everyone objects, I’ll actually roll these. Normally, I’d roll a goblins attack, compare it to your AC and tell you if I hit or not. In this case, I will roll the attack and your Defense, and tell you if I hit or not. If I did not, I will let you know what tactical advantage you’ve gained, and then you can describe it if you'd like.
REACTIONS
When you roll your Defense, if you beat the attacker's attack, you gain a Reaction. These are similar to Combat Maneuvers, but tweaked and expanded upon. So you may Trip someone, or Straight-arm them in the face, or Numb strike their weapon-arm. You will likely gain a tactical advantage. Beware, as they can be done to you if you lose an attack, and they will create tactical problems.
ATTACKS OF OPPORTUNITY
When you get an AoO, you get a free attack to deliver a random condition from Dirty Trick (Blinded, Deafened, Entangled, Sickened. I've removed Dazzled and Shaken, as they don't fit the theme very well, or match power well). No damage. The condition lasts 1 round +1/5 you beat their attack by. You may dismiss the condition with a Move Action. Natural 1’s trigger AoO. Attacks of Opportunity may not have Reactions used against them.
COMBAT MANEUVERS
OVERRUN - Overrun functions the same as RAW, with the following changes: Overrun is part of a Move Action and provokes an AoO unless you have the Powerful Maneuvers Feat (Elephant in the Room/World is Square). So you can choose to move through an opponent's space, triggering an Overrun and an AoO as a Move Action. If you succeed, you finish moving and still have a Standard Action.
CRAWLING
As a Standard Action, you may crawl 5 ft while defending yourself, so as not to incur an AoO. This allows you to then spend a Move Action to stand, so that prone is not automatically beat senseless, but has a high cost: a Move and a Standard Action.
HANDING OR TOSSING AN ITEM TO ANOTHER CHARACTER
To "hand" or "toss" something to an ally that is in a square adjacent to you, like a weapon or a Potion, takes a Swift Action by you and can be caught with an Immediate Action by them. This does provoke an AoO for both parties, as your focus is diverted away from defending yourselves.
If you are not adjacent to each other, it is a Move Action to aim and toss it, and an Immediate Action to catch it. Both parties still provoke AoO.
If an AoO is successful, there is a 50% chance that the item is dropped. If you are adjacent, roll randomly around you. If you are not, roll randomly around the target. In the case of a potion, or other breakable objects, there is a 10% chance it breaks.
==Magic items== POTIONS
If you are of a martial class (Unchained Barbarian, Fighter, Unchained Monk, Ranger (without spells), Rogue, Cavalier, Gunslinger, Shifter, Vigilante, Ninja, Samurai, Brawler, Hunter (without spells), Slayer, or a Swashbuckler) you may drink a potion as a Move Action instead of a Standard Action. This allows you to act faster, as you are accustomed to quick reflexes.
If you are a prepared arcane spellcaster class (Wizard, Arcanist, Witch, Magus), you get a bonus to any prepared spells that match the spell in the potion. You act as either a Maximize Spell feat or Empower spell feats (characters choice). You must be Arcanely focused to do this. If the spell is not in the Wizard’s memory (and therefore spellbook), the potion behaves normally. You cast the spell as a Standard Action and drink the potion as a Move Action. If you don’t have the spell prepared, but it is in your spellbook, you may burn a spell of the appropriate level and consume the potion as a Full Round Action, to gain the effects of the spell with the Metamagic bonuses. As an example, a wizard has the spell Mage armor memorized. He casts the spell Mage armor as a Standard action, and drinks the potion as a Move Action, granting an AC bonus of +6, with the duration calculated using his CL, not the potions. Both his memorized spell and the potion are consumed. This allows you to push your own magic.
If you are a spontaneous arcane spellcaster class (Sorcerer, Arcanist, Hexblade, Bard, Unchained Summoner, Skald, Bloodrager), you can hold onto the potion in your body for 1 minute per Caster Level that you have. i.e., a 4th level sorcerer who drinks a potion of mage armor can hold it and cast it four minutes later as a swift action. To drink it and store it is a Standard Action plus a Swift Action this round, and a Swift Action when you trigger it. This allows you to store the magical energy.
If you are a prepared Divine spellcaster class (Cleric, Paladin, Ranger, Druid, Shaman, and Warpriest) you may consume a potion and use it to cast a spell of the same level from your spell list. The spell must be cast within 1 minute. This allows you to use potions to fuel your faith.
If you are a Spontaneous Divine spellcaster class (Hunter, Oracle, and Inquisitor) you may drink the potion and treat it as a CLW potion for yourself, and then Cast it at a target within 30 ft. To do this you drink the potion as a Move Action and then cast Cure Light Wounds as a Standard Action. Use your CL to determine the strength of the spell. This allows you to convert potions to help the party in a limited capacity, healing yourself and others.
If you are an Alchemist or an Investigator you can drink the potion as a Standard Action and treat the potion as if it were two levels higher than its original Caster Level, or two higher than your own, whichever is greater.
If you are a psionic class (Aegis, Cryptic, Dread, Marksman, Psion, Soulknife, Tactician, Vitalist, and Wilder), you may consume the potion as a Standard Action, converting it to Power-Points as a Move Action. You regain 2 Power-Points per Caster Level of the potion that you consumed. This allows you to fuel your mind's energy.
SCROLLS
Prepared spellcasters may complete the casting of a scroll as a Move Action.
Spontaneous spellcasters may add the spell to their spell list for 1 hour.
WANDS
Anyone who wields a wand, or successfully activates a wand with a UMD check, may utilize it with metamagic feats.
As a Swift Action, you may attempt to apply a Metamagic Feat to a wand. You must pay the base cost (1 charge) plus charges equal to 3 times the level adjustment of the Metamagic Feat. You must also succeed in a Spellcraft check of 10 + Spell level + 3 times the level adjustment of the Metamagic Feat. This is costly and difficult.
If you want to use your wand of fireball with the Maximized, Quickened, and Silenced MetaMagic feats (+3 spell levels, +1, and +4), you use 1 (for the normal) +9, +3, +12 (each tripled) for a total of 25 charges. and a UMD DC of 28 (DC 20 to activate the wand, plus the cost of the MetaMagic levels, +3, +1, and +4), or a Spellcraft check DC 21. This means you may use the wand twice before it is burnt out. It also is very expensive for just two attacks (or more, depending on how you play it), but you are more likely to use it. Spellcraft checks are easier as you have experience and expertise in using magic.
A prepared spellcaster gains an additional free "charge" while casting a spell with a MetaMagic Feat through a wand. Essentially, this makes it so they pay for the 3x MetaMagic Feat cost, not the original charge of the spell.
A spontaneous spellcaster may cast their own known spells through the wand, at 3x the cost. (Casting Fireball, which a sorcerer already knows, costs 9 charges when cast through a wand of Magic Missile). This is a standard action to use the wand, and a Swift Action to push your spell through it.
You can push your own spell through a wand, and then MetaMagic it with charges from the wand. This is a Full Round Action.
Spellcasters BECOMING FOCUSED
Sorcerers, Witches & Wizards - Characters that cast spells may become Arcane-focused as a special use of the Concentration skill.
If you have 1 or more spell slots unspent (spells still available to cast; they do not need to be empty), you can meditate to attempt to become Arcane-focused. The DC to become Arcane-focused is a Concentration check DC 20. Meditating is a full-round action that provokes attacks of opportunity. When you are Arcane-focused, you may expend your focus on any single Concentration check you make thereafter. When you expend your focus in this manner, your Concentration check is treated as if you rolled a 15. It’s like taking 10, except that the number you add to your Concentration modifier is 15.
If you are forced to make a Concentration check and you fail you lose focus.
If you are not Arcane-focused, treat your magic as if you were casting using Limited magic.
Clerics, Paladins & Oracles - Characters that perform miracles and acts of wonder may become Divinely-focused as a special use of the Concentration skill.
If you have 1 or more spell slots unspent (spells still available to cast; they do not need to be empty), you can meditate to attempt to become Divinely-focused. The DC to become Divinely-focused is a Concentration check DC 20. Meditating is a full-round action that provokes attacks of opportunity. When you are Divinely focused, you may expend your focus on any single Concentration check you make thereafter. When you expend your focus in this manner, your Concentration check is treated as if you rolled a 15. It’s like taking 10, except that the number you add to your Concentration modifier is 15.
If you are forced to make a Concentration check and you fail you lose focus.
If you are not Divinely-focused, treat your magic as if you were casting using Limited magic.
Languages of Eberron:
Enchantment (Tamil)
Evocation (Bengali)
Abjuration (Armenian)
Transmutation (Georgian)
Divination (Gujarati)
Necromancy (Arabic)
"You mortals shall perish if you interfere with our plans."
"My people were the victims of the Great War. We did not want this fight; this fight sought us out, and murdered our children."
Goblin (Icelandic) - Mitt fólk voru fórnarlömb í Great War. Við vildum ekki þessari baráttu; þessi bardagi leitað okkur út, og myrt sonu."
Hobgoblin (Dutch) - "Mijn mensen waren het slachtoffer in de Grote Oorlog. We wilden niet deze strijd; deze strijd zocht ons uit, en vermoord uit kinderen."
Valaes (Swahili) - "Watu wangu walikuwa waathirika katika Vita Kuu. Hatukutaka vita hii; vita hii walitaka sisi nje, na aliuawa nje watoto."
Aereni (Zulu) - "Abantu bami babe izisulu eMpini Enkulu. We wayengafuni le mpi; Kule mpi wafuna us out, futhi wabulala abantwana."
Zilargo (Malay) - "Rakyatku telah terlibat dalam mangsa dalam Perang Besar. Kami tidak mahu perjuangan ini; perjuangan ini dicari kami keluar, dan dibunuh daripada kanak-kanak."
Aundair (French) - "Mes gens étaient les victimes de la Grande Guerre. Nous ne voulons pas que cette lutte; ce combat nous a cherché, et assassiné des enfants."
Cyre (Spanish) - "Mi pueblo fueron las víctimas en la Gran Guerra. No queríamos que esta lucha; esta lucha nos buscó, y asesinó a cabo los niños."
Breland (English) - That stuff we mutter.
Dwarven (Basque) - "Nire pertsona Gerra Handiaren ere biktima izan ziren. Guk ez dugu borroka honetan nahi; Borroka honetan bilatzen gurekin, eta hil haur.."
Q'barra - (Vietnamese) - "Dân ta là nạn nhân trong các cuộc chiến tranh lớn. Chúng tôi không muốn cuộc chiến này; cuộc chiến này đã tìm ra chúng, và giết hại trẻ em ra.."
Kaarnath (Russian) - "Мои люди были жертвами в Великой войне. Мы не хотим, чтобы эта борьба; эта борьба стремились нас, и убил из детей."
Thrane (Italian) - "La mia gente sono state le vittime nella Grande Guerra. Non abbiamo voluto questa lotta; questa lotta noi cercato, e ucciso fuori bambini."
Shadow marches, humans (Irish) - "Bhí mo mhuintir na n-íospartach sa Chogadh Mór. Ní raibh muid ag iarraidh an troid; iarr an troid dúinn amach, agus dúnmharaíodh amach do leanaí
Shadow marches, Orc (Welsh) - "Fy mhobl oedd y dioddefwyr yn y Rhyfel Mawr. Doedden ni ddim am i frwydr hon; frwydr hon Ceisiodd ni allan, ac llofruddio allan plant."
Eldeen Reaches (Gaelician) - "Meu pobo foron vítimas na Gran Guerra. Non queremos esta loita; esta loita nos buscou, e asasinado a nenos."
Halfling (Yucatec Maya) - "In kaajal j-máaxo'ob le nuxi' k'atun. Ma' Táak k le ba'atelo'; le ba'ate'lo' k kaxantaj ka asesinó le paalalo'obo'."
Words and phrases:
Olladra’s Favor - Good Luck
May Olladra smile on you - A goodbye phrase
Bless Arawai and her wonders - A term of awe or wonder
Aureon's word - Term of frustration
Hostforsaken - Godforsaken
Forsaken - Godforsaken
Flameforsaken - Godforsaken
By the Host - By the gods/my god/holy hell/god above
By Dol Dorn’s rusted codpiece - By the gods/my god/holy hell/god above
Sovereigns Above - By the gods/my god/holy hell/god above
Sovereigns and Six - By the gods/my god/holy hell/god above with a little extra stank on it
Host Above - By the gods/my god/holy hell/god above
Khyber Below - By the gods/my god/holy hell/god above
Devourer’s Teeth - By the gods/my god/holy hell/god above
Light of Il-Yannah - By the gods/my god/holy hell/god above
Aureon’s blue feather - By the gods/my god/holy hell/god above
Host - God
Flame - God
Il-Yannah - God (also used like "my god")
Traveler's Tricks - Dammit
Storm at dawn - Dammit (House Lyrandar)
Ring of Siberys - Term of shock
Twelve moons - Shock or frustration
What-in-the-name-of-the-Flame/Host - What-in-the-name-of-God
Take the side of the Traveler - Playing Devil’s Advocate
Khyber-loving - Motherf^(&ing
Dolurrh - Hell (ex. “This side of Dolurrh” for “This side of hell”)
Khyber - Hell (ex. “This side of Khyber” for “This side of hell”)
‘Forged - Warforged
‘Marked - Bearer of a Dragonmark
Faceless - Changeling (derogatory)
Gummer - Changeling (derogatory from Dhakaani gaa’ma, or “wax baby”)
Mourner - Cyran Refugee (derogatory)
Marcher - Person from The Shadow Marches
Reacher - Person from the Eldeen Reaches
Flamer - Person from Thrane (derogatory)
Bear - Person from Breland (derogatory)
Dragon - Platinum Dragon (pp)
Galifar - Gold Galifar (go)
Sovereign - Silver Sovereign (sp)
Crown - Copper Crown (cp)
The Houses
Bull - Member of house Cannith (derogatory)
Maker/Builder - Member of House Cannith
Squid - Member of House Lyrandar (derogatory)
Stormchild - Dragonmarked member of House Lyrandar
Tusker - Member of House Tharashk. Derogatory when used to refer to a human member, but some of the Half-Orc and Orc members use it as a term of companionship.
Groundhog - Member of House Tharashk (derogatory)
Lizard - Member of House Medani, some use it as derogatory, but it is usually used with humorous irony within the house.
Unicorn/Horn/Horse/Pony - Member of House Orien, especially a courier. to "drop a horn" is to send someone a message via Orien Courier.
Rat - Gnome, especially a member of House Sivis (derogatory)
Chimera - Member of House Deneith
Goat-head - Member of House Deneith (derogatory)
Sharn-specific
Dive - To die or be killed
Step Off - Leave/Go away, as in “Step off a tower”
Towerspit - Bullsh!t
Cloud City - Means Skyway or to have one’s head in the clouds
The Clouds - Means Skyway or to have one’s head in the clouds
The Top - Means Skyway or to have one’s head in the clouds
Silvertown - Means Skyway or to have one’s head in the clouds
High Pillows - The Upper-class, especially Skyway residents
Uptowner - The Upper-class, especially Skyway residents
High Bells - Midday
Cloak/Cape - Member of the Sharn Watch, specifically the Red Cloak Battalion
Adar-Specific
Wind and Thunder - Exclamation of Dismay
Don't drive the goats so you can sit by the fire/Don't break your back for a burden you've put down - Take wise actions without concern for the past or future. All that matters is doing the task at hand to the best of one's ability.
Adar! Adar! Bhintava adarani! - Adaran battle cry that translates to "Adar! Adar! Defend those who seek aid!"
Dahr - Something or someone vile; plural "dahri"
kesh - kalashtar term for the telepathic mind-link all kalashtar can create with other beings
Kuchta/kuchtoa - A kalashtar formula of informal greeting. "Kuchta" is the first greeting and "kuchtoa" is the proper response
vayhatana - kalashtar term for psionic telekinesis. literally translated, it means "ghost breath".
Shifter-specific
Wolf - A cultural hero figure among shifters based on one of the animal forms of their lycanthrope ancestors. Wolf is wise, honorable, and knowledgeable in the ways of magic. She is often referred to as "Grandmother" and "Grandmother Wolf!" is a common expression of awe.
Boar - A cultural hero figure among shifters based on one of the animal forms of their lycanthrope ancestors. Usually referred to as "Cousin," Boar represents tremendous endurance, but also unrestrained and reckless enthusiasm.
Bear - A cultural hero figure among shifters based on one of the animal forms of their lycanthrope ancestors. Usually referred to as "Cousin," Bear embodies the attributes of strength and caution.
Rat - A cultural hero figure among shifters based on one of the animal forms of their lycanthrope ancestors. Usually referred to as "Grandfather," he is depicted as a cunning and stealthy trickster. "Grandfather Rat!" is a common expression of frustration.
Tiger - A cultural hero figure among shifters based on one of the animal forms of their lycanthrope ancestors. Tiger is a noble being, a warrior of incomparable grace and speed. Unlike the other shifter culture-heroes, no relation is ever claimed to Tiger.
Silvered - Used to describe a person, weapon, place, or thing that has been designed to take advantage of another’s weaknesses.
The Journey Yet to Come - Any unforeseen incident, the future, or more commonly, a shifter’s destiny.
Grasping the Moons - This phrase, growing less and less common in its usage, simply means “shifting.”
What follows are used as curses
Boar's tusk
Tiger's blood
Grandfather Rat's naked tail
Eldeen Reaches-specific
Tak - Thank you
Tak Tak - Thank you very much
Talenta Tundra-specific
"Banded we live!" - Often used as a goodbye, this saying underscores the emphasis shifter culture puts on the group. It is traditionally spoken in unison at the end of any tribal meeting or gathering.
"No tomorrow!" - Used sometimes as a battle cry, this simple phrase is also common as a quiet utterance that a shifter might whisper to herself in times of worry or danger. It captures the Tashanan ideal of not letting distractions or worries about the future interfere with the pressing needs and reality of the moment.
"The wolf is always waiting." - A reminder to stay alert and vigilant at all times. Also used to express remorse or grief in times of crisis or death.
"A sister to my brother is my sister, too." - One of many Tashanan sayings that reveal a deep sense of compassion - a shifter might say this after a hunting kill, or the death of a worthy enemy.
"Tear at the throat, and be done." - Something of a counterpoint to the above, this proverb encourages maximum violence immediately when confronted by danger. It's also muttered when undertaking an unpleasant task.
"Qok!" - The all-purpose expletive of the shifters, pronounced "coke." It can be used as an adjective (Harness the qokking dogs!), a noun (What the qok is that?), or a verb (Qok this!).
Laws of the Five Nations:
WHO IS PROTECTED?
Breland adheres to the Galifar Code of Justice. Currently, the protection of the law is extended to all citizens of the 12 nations recognized by the Treaty of Thronehold and all members of the dragonmarked houses. This notably excludes Droaam and the Shadow Marches, although Marchers or Droaamites in the employ of House Tharashk are protected. As a result, creatures from Droaam are not protected by the law unless they are working for House Tharashk. All beings are expected to abide by the laws of the city, so while there is technically no legal penalty for killing a Droaamite gnoll, the gnoll is held accountable if he murders a Brelish citizen.
Undead are also excluded from the protection of the law, regardless of whether or not they are intelligent. Once a creature has died, he no longer has any status in the eyes of the law.
The warforged are protected due to rights granted them by the Treaty of Thronehold, but getting the representatives of the law to always enforce this protection is tricky.
Breaking the Law
As a civilized city bound to the basic tenets of the Brelish law and the Galifar Code of Justice, Sharn has a fairly typical set of laws. While many crimes are obvious, a character can always make a DC 10 Knowledge (local) check to establish the legal status of a specific action.
Common crimes are described below.
CRIMES OF AGGRESSION
Some of the most serious crimes under the law are those actions that bring direct, physical harm to another person.
Assault and Battery: The consequences of unarmed brawling depend on class. In lower-class districts, the law completely ignores brawling. An innkeeper may throw a rowdy barbarian out of the inn, but the guards simply don’t have time to follow up on every bar fight.
In a middle-class neighborhood, the consequences depend on who is involved in the fight. If two laborers get into a fight, the guards don’t care—but if a seedy adventurer punches a respectable barrister, that’s another story. Officers of the Watch break up any fight involving respectable citizens. This is a minor offense that can be handled by a sergeant of the Watch. A mark is made on the identification papers of the guilty party. He is fined 5 sp for each assault charge shown on his papers. Finally, he is escorted out of the district and ordered to stay away for at least one day. If the character doesn’t have gold or identification papers, he is taken to the local garrison and assigned to labor detail. Generally, guards do not investigate any sort of assault that they did not personally observe.
An upper-class district follows the same guidelines as a middle-class district. There are more guards on the streets of an upper-class neighborhood, so a brawl is more likely to be spotted and stopped.
Armed Assault: Once people start inflicting lethal damage on one another, a brawl becomes more serious. Guards rarely investigate an armed assault in lower-class areas, provided that both parties survived (if not, it’s murder). But they certainly do break up fights that they observe and fine the aggressors. The fine increases to 10 gp per offense and a character with three or more marks on his record may be sent to the garrison and held for trial. It is also common policy to confiscate the weapon of the aggressor, which could be a far more serious loss to a high-level adventurer.
Assaulting an Officer: Attacking an agent of the law is always a bad idea, and anyone captured after such a battle is held for trial.
Murder: Murder—the theft of life—is a serious offense. A murderer who is taken by the Watch is held for trial, and execution is certainly a possible punishment. However, this assumes that anyone reports the crime and that the guards consider it worth the time to investigate. Self-defense is a strong mitigating factor; if the party is attacked by a group of Daask gnolls and kills them, the Watch won’t try to track them down and hold them accountable. Likewise, the identity of the victim plays a major role in determining punishment. The murder of a city councilor likely results in execution; the death of a goblin gambler probably never reaches court.
Dueling: There is a long tradition of dueling in Khorvaire, especially in Karrnath and Thrane. In adventurers’ quarters, duels are taken quite seriously; people help the combatants find a safe place to duel, and people who refuse what is seen as a valid challenge suffer a significant loss of face in the district. Most duels are fought to first blood (10% of a duelist’s hit points) or until a combatant chooses to yield, but duels to the death are not unheard of.
However, the Galifar Code of Justice provides no exceptions for dueling. The Sharn Watch considers duels to be assault with two guilty parties, potentially armed assault, or even murder depending on the nature of the duel and whether it is interrupted in time.
While most duels are centered on combat, duels based around displays of skill or magical prowess also occur. Thieves may select a single wealthy target and see who can steal the richest jewel without being noticed.
CRIMES OF DECEPTION
Deception is stock in trade for criminals, almost a prerequisite for any other sort of crime. In some cases, however, the deception itself is the crime.
Forgery: Counterfeit coins and false identification papers are the most common forms of forgery, but there are many others. For minor offenses, a guard simply confiscates the counterfeit goods and applies a fine with a value appropriate to the damage caused by the crime. Using forged identification papers carries a standard fee of 10 gp. Participation in a counterfeiting ring or forgery of a more serious nature results in the character being held for trial, with major fines, branding, and exile as possible punishments.
Fraud: Technically, fraud is “deliberate deception with the intent to cause injury to another.” This covers a wide array of crimes, from oath-breaking to selling false goods to what the Galifar Code of Justice calls “Counterfeit of Identity with Criminal Intent”— a charge typically brought against changelings. There are a few factors that determine the degree to which the Sharn Watch pursues a fraud investigation. First, how much damage was done? The guards won’t bother with a charlatan selling supposed beholder eggs for 5 cp apiece, but a false alchemist selling worthless “healing potions” for 750 gp may run into trouble. If some form of concrete damage cannot be shown, the case certainly won’t be investigated.
The next questions that need to be answered are where the crime took place and who was involved. Scams that occur in the lower wards are rarely investigated; people who stay in Dragoneyes or Hostelhome are asking for trouble. And as is usually the case in Sharn, the guards typically protect the wealthy at the expense of the poor.
Cases of fraud generally need to be resolved in court; fines, branding, or exile are the usual punishments.
Slander: Currently, slander is not a crime under the Galifar Code of Justice. If a bard pens a satirical song about Kalphan Riak, he won’t have a lawsuit on his hands, though he might have to deal with the wrath of the merchant prince.
CRIMES OF PROPERTY
It is far more common for criminals to steal, harm, or smuggle property than people. Crimes of property are both more common in the city and less serious under the law.
Theft: Theft is the most common form of crime in Sharn. It’s said that every minute someone picks a pocket or cuts a purse, though this is undoubtedly an exaggeration. For minor offenses where the stolen property is returned, the thief must pay the victim twice the value of what he stole. If the item cannot be returned, the fine may rise as high as ten times the value of the item that was lost, with hard labor if the fine cannot be paid. Branding and exile are common punishments for repeat offenders.
Smuggling and Contraband: Characters who sell or possess prohibited goods can find themselves in trouble with the law. Typically, contraband goods are confiscated and the criminal is ordered to pay a fine of up to twice the value of the contraband. Large smuggling operations may result in greater fines, along with branding and exile.
Treasure Hunting: Under the Galifar Code of Justice, it is illegal to plunder and sell the relics of past civilizations for personal gain. So, treasures recovered from Xen’drik, the Depths, or similar locations are actually contraband goods, and the Wharf Watch searches all vessels returning from Xen’drik for treasures.
There are a few ways that adventurers can avoid having their hard-won treasures confiscated. If they wish to work within the law, they can purchase a letter of marque from the Wharf Watch. A letter of marque costs 500 gp and lasts for one year. A letter of marque covers a single region, such as Breland or Xen’drik.
When an adventurer attempts to sell recovered goods or passes through customs, he must produce a valid letter of marque for the region where he obtained the recovered goods. Characters who wish to keep these treasures must purchase a record of legal acquisition, a notarized resilient document that provides a brief description of the object and its owner; a single record can describe up to six different objects.
The need for letters of marque is one reason that adventurers may seek patrons to sponsor their expeditions; Morgrave University has standing letters of marque for almost anywhere adventurers might go. However, an adventurer could choose to avoid the law altogether. Fences throughout Cliffside and the city are happy to make contraband treasures go away, and a good forger can produce letters of marque at a far more reasonable price (typically 25 gp). An adventurer found using forged letters of marque is fined 1,000 gp and blacklisted by the Wharf Watch, which prevents him from acquiring letters of marque in the future.
MISUSE OF MAGIC
The Galifar Code of Justice includes strict guidelines for the use of magic, as laid down by the Arcane Congress in ages past. These include the following:
Use of any spell that can inflict physical harm on another being—from magic missile to finger of death—is considered to be armed assault. This includes spells that permanently incapacitate a target, such as flesh to stone. Careless use of fire magic is treated especially harshly, due to the significant threat of property damage. If a summon spell conjures a dangerous creature that harms another person, the conjurer is liable for the actions of the beast.
Spells that incapacitate a target—such as sleep— are treated as simple assault.
Spells that tamper with the thoughts of another being—charm person, suggestion, fear—are considered to be a form of fraud.
There are also a few more obscure laws. House Ghallanda has the sole right to make use of heroes’ feast or Leomund’s secure shelter within the city limits. Rope trick and Leomund’s tiny hut can only be used in private rooms. Knock can only be used by or on behalf of the legal owner of the locked item.
The problem with magical crimes is that the burden of proof falls on the accuser. Can she prove that she was charmed? The Blackened Book only investigates high-profile cases that have resulted in major damages. Otherwise, if spell use cannot be proven, the crime is not prosecuted. The forces of the law are authorized to use any form of magic in pursuit of their duties.
TREASON
The accusation of treason against the Brelish Crown or the city of Sharn is a serious matter. The Guardians of the Gate handle the investigation of treason, and the King’s Citadel generally becomes involved if the accusation is serious. Treasonous behavior can include:
Conspiracy to harm a city official or member of the Brelish Parliament or Royal Court.
Conspiracy to steal or damage property of the Crown or the government of Sharn.
Espionage on behalf of a foreign government.
While these are the most common categories, the agents of the King’s Citadel can extend the umbrella of treason to cover any activity they see as threatening the security of Breland. Crimes of Treason are tried under the authority of the King’s Citadel, without access to a jury. Depending on the magnitude of the crime, treason can result in exile, indefinite imprisonment, or even execution.
LOCAL LAWS
Occasionally individual districts or wards have their own laws. Upper Tavick’s Landing has a substantial set of local laws, described below:
A character must obtain a license to carry a weapon within Upper Tavick’s Landing. This license can be obtained at the courthouse in Twelve Pillars and costs 5 gp. However, the main purpose of the license is to keep armed undesirables out of the district. The typical adventurer must make a DC 25 Diplomacy check to convince the functionary to provide him with a license. He must be a Brelish citizen or a member of a dragonmarked house and must provide a great deal of personal information, including a detailed description of the weapons he is licensed to carry. Any member of the Sharn City Watch or House Deneith can demand to see a license, and they will confiscate unauthorized weapons.
A different license is required to cast spells within the district; this costs 10 gp and requires the character to specify the spells he wishes to cast. Unauthorized spellcasting generally results in a fine of 50 gp times the level of the spell.
Upper Tavick’s Landing has a dress code. Inhabitants must dress “in a manner that upholds the solemn dignity of this proud ward,” and it is up to the individual Watch officer or Deneith guard to interpret what this means. Generally, an adventurer is safe if his clothes cost at least 5 gp, but this law provides an excellent excuse to harass undesirables. Armor is usually considered to be inappropriate unless the wearer is part of the Watch, House Deneith, or another branch of the city government or the crown. Anyone held to be in contempt of this law is escorted from the district and ordered to stay away until rectifying the situation.
Unruly conduct—fighting, shouting in the streets, and other forms of rude behavior—results in a fine of up to 5 gp and temporary expulsion from the ward (assuming that none of the other laws of the city were broken during the incident).
The Forces of the Law
Inevitably, adventurers who spend a significant amount of time in Sharn cross paths with the forces of the law. Heroic adventurers may be called upon to help in the pursuit of justice, while amoral or down-on-their-luck PCs may run afoul of the law. This section provides an overview of the organizations that enforce the law: the forces that adventurers may fight alongside or against, depending on their motives.
THE SHARN WATCH
The Sharn Watch is the overarching organization that enforces the laws of the city. The sentinels of the Watch patrol the streets of Sharn, ever vigilant for signs of unrest. Unfortunately, the Sharn Watch is riddled with corruption, from the commanding officers down to the patrols. There are a few dedicated guards who truly want to protect the innocent. But bribery runs rampant, and the watch has a way of never showing up at the same time as Daask or the Boromar clan. And aside from the general problems of greed, cowardice, and corruption, the watch commanders focus their forces on protecting the wealthy and powerful citizens of the city. The lower levels of the towers are lightly patrolled, while the only guards seen in the Cogs are assigned to specific locations that are vital to the welfare of the city. So the streets of Skyway are quite safe—but the character who runs into a band of angry ogres in the Cogs shouldn’t expect to see any help from the Watch.
While the majority of the members of the Watch are simple street-pounders, there are also a few elite divisions within the organization that have special duties. A few of these groups—such as the Blackened Book and the Guardians of the Gate—are described on their page. Other less interesting branches include the Wharf Watch, who oversees trade and taxation (despite the name, they operate throughout the city); the Cog Guards (who patrol the reservoirs and most critical areas of the sewer systems), and the Goldwings, an air cavalry unit who use Vadalis-trained hippogriffs to scout for trouble and to respond to mid-air crimes.
The central administration of the Sharn Watch is housed in the Citadel, the hulking fortress in Ambassador Towers that contains the Sharn Prison and the headquarters of the King’s Citadel. The bulk of the Watch is divided up between four garrison districts: Daggerwatch in Upper Dura, Warden Towers in Middle Menthis, Sword Point in Middle Central Plateau, and Black Arch in Lower Tavicks Landing. Each garrison has its own commander, and these officers have a considerable amount of leeway in how they interpret policy.
Any commander can call on the Blackened Book, the Sharn Guard, or the Goldwings for assistance. In dire situations, they can contact the Redcloaks or the King’s Citadel. But in practice, these elite units aren’t called into play that often.
As a general rule, the commanders of the Watch are only interested in maintaining the status quo and protecting the wealthy. As long as things are quiet on the surface, the Watch rarely goes searching for trouble. Even in times of crisis, most commanders prefer to use personal agents to quietly resolve situations as opposed to bringing in the Redcloaks or the King’s Citadel.
Contraband in Sharn
The following items are considered to be contraband in Breland:
Absentia
Dragon’s blood
Dreamlily
Most addictive substances (DM’s discretion)
Blank pages notarized by House Sivis
Any poison that can inflict more than 1 point of Constitution damage, permanent damage to any ability, or more than 1d6 damage to any ability.
Other items are not actually illegal but are restricted. These items can only be sold to members of the royal military or the Sharn Watch. Possession of a restricted item is not illegal, but the Watch will want to know why the character has the item, and if the explanation is insufficient it may be confiscated.
Restricted items include:
Any bane weapon that affects a humanoid creature type.
Any type of poison that is not actually outlawed.
Any magic item (including scrolls or wands) that reproduces the effects of any of the following spells: cloudkill, chain lightning, the circle of death spell, cone of cold, contagion, delayed blast fireball, disintegrate, the finger of death spell, feeblemind, fireball, flesh to stone, greater shout, horrid wilting, ice storm, imprisonment, incendiary cloud, insanity, invisibility (including greater invisibility), lightning bolt, meteor swarm, Mordenkainen’s disjunction, phantasmal killer, poison, polar ray, power word kill, soul bind, sunburst, or weird.
A wealthy nobleman starts a fight with one of the adventurers. After a few blows have been exchanged, a Watch patrol comes around the corner. The guards put a stop to the battle, and the sergeant asks for an explanation. What happens next?
Unfortunately, Sharn is a very corrupt city. The soldiers of the Watch and the Guard respect people who appear to be wealthy and are happy to accept bribes. In any sort of “your word versus mine” situation, each side in the conflict should choose one member to make a Diplomacy or Bluff check; the guard accepts the word of the side that gets the better result. The modifiers below apply to a character’s check:
Situation & Modifier
A resident of an upper ward (+6)
Wearing a royal outfit (+6)
Wearing noble’s outfit (+4)
Member of dragonmarked house (+3)
Ecclesiarch (+3)
Each impartial witness (+2)
Wearing a courtier’s outfit (+2)
Shifter, half-orc, or goblinoid (–1)
Wearing traveler’s outfit (–2)
Non-resident (–2)
Warforged or changeling (–2)
Wearing peasant outfit (–4)
A resident of a lower ward (–4)
Monstrous humanoid (–4)
Not a citizen of Breland (–4)
Bribes also help. A character gets a +1 to the roll for every 2 gp he slips the guard up to 10 gp (for a +5 bonus). Each additional 10 gp adds another +1 to the roll, up to 50 gp (for a +9 bonus). Thereafter, every 25 gp adds another +1 to the roll. So a bribe of 125 gp provides a +12 bonus.
These are guidelines, and the DM can always adjust them based on the specific guard involved. A sergeant who is a shifter, half-orc, warforged, or changeling usually gives a +2 bonus to members of his own race. The guards of Tavick’s Landing do not accept bribes and are not positively influenced by clothing (the –4 penalty for wearing peasant clothing still applies).
